P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Max Verstappen is close to a race ban following a collision with George Russell, whilst another with Charles Leclerc went unpunished.
The Red Bull motorsport advisor declined to discuss Max Verstappen’s collision with Charles Leclerc at the Spanish Grand Prix, attributing his clash with George Russell to “frustration”. Verstappen had been on course for a podium until a late safety car prompted a majority of drivers to pit for new soft tires, while Verstappen unexpectedly received new hards. This decision backfired as the Dutchman struggled to warm up the tires, resulting in a slide that allowed Leclerc to overtake him on the restart before a contact incident occurred. Despite the stewards opting not to penalize Verstappen, the advisor, Marko, refrained from elaborating on the incident with Leclerc. Marko explained that Red Bull took a strategic risk with a three-stop strategy due to tire limitations, but the safety car intervention hampered their plans as they were left with unsuitable hard tires for the final stint. Verstappen’s loss of grip led to the tense moment with Leclerc, prompting Marko to avoid providing further details on the matter.
